


Captured

by chartreuseblueandyellow



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Because I firmly believe, F/M, Mac is a person who’d swear a lot, especially when under stress, in this fic anyways, some light swearing, which he definitely is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:13:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27913603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chartreuseblueandyellow/pseuds/chartreuseblueandyellow
Summary: She could feel the tension radiating off of him and couldn’t help but be slightly worried about this suddenly very intense, almost cold, Mac, a side she’d never really seen before.Why was he like this? He’d been in situations just as stressful as this before but -Her earlier thoughts suddenly slammed into her.Oh.OH.
Relationships: Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver - Relationship
Comments: 27
Kudos: 162





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Set after 5x01.  
> There was a prompt/headcannon on tumblr that Desi figures out Riley’s feelings but Riley promises never to act on it, but later there’s a situation where Riley’s in trouble and through his reactions, Desi realises that Mac feels the same way about Riley.  
> Obviously my fic writing brain LOVED this idea. 
> 
> Also I’ve realised that, without realising, I always end up writing fics without Russ and, tbh, that’s cuz I dunno how to write him. So just pretend he’s at some conference or something overseas I dunno. 
> 
> As always, LOVE hearing from you guys so please let me know what you think :)  
> Enjoy!

Desi, Mac and Riley were on a mission.  
They had gotten intel that an extremely lethal and brutal group of mercenaries were currently in LA to do a job, but they didn't know what it was. The group was backed up by very powerful people and, because of that, they never got caught or were let off the hook when they did, even when they tortured and killed others.  
Safe to say, Matty wanted them captured fast.  
She also wanted the three of them to only gather information about what the possible plans were and, for now, avoid the group if possible in order to create an arrest which they couldn’t wriggle out of. 

There was silence in the car as they pulled up a block away from the compound.  
Though none of them would ever admit it, there was a slight tension in the air when it was just the three of them. Nothing too obvious to an outsider, but Desi could feel it and was sure the other two were aware of it as well, Riley more so than Mac. 

After the Zurich Grand Hotel mission a few weeks ago, Desi had put together what Riley had said about following Mac to codex and, because she wasn’t the kind of person to dance around what she wanted to say, she talked to Riley about it.  
The other woman had reluctantly admitted to having feelings for Mac, something she said she wished she didn’t have, and apologised for it. Riley also promised that she’d never act on it and so Desi didn’t have to worry about it. 

She knew without a doubt that Riley would keep her word, that was just who she was, but Desi couldn't help but keep a closer eye on the two of them.  
But what she’d found had surprised her.  
She'd always known that Mac and Riley were close, but only when she'd stopped to actually observe their relationship and all their interactions, did she realise there might actually be some feelings involved, and not just from Riley's side. 

Mac always seemed to look at Riley first when coming up with a solution or asking for help with one but, more than that, they could always seem to understand what the other was saying, even without words. They had their constant arcade outings, something no other team member was invited to, and she still remembered how genuinely happy Mac had seemed to be fake married to Riley when they’d gone undercover in the casino.  
Desi also realised that whenever they were in a situation where something went wrong, Mac’s gaze always sought out Riley first, as if checking she was okay was his first concern. 

Another, albeit subtle, hint was Mac’s nickname for her.  
_Riles_.  
Maybe Desi had always subconsciously been slightly jealous of that because, other than Mac who had clearly given her the nickname, Desi was the only one who, though not often, called her that. After deeply analysing her own thoughts and actions, Desi supposed that was because she didn’t want Mac to have a special nickname for Riley, especially given that he didn’t have one for her. 

She didn’t know if she was looking too much into things after Riley’s admission, or if she was simply overthinking things. Mac and Riley _were_ good friends after all, and had been long before she’d showed up.  
Shaking her head, she focused back on the empty compound as Mac used some contraption to melt the heavy metal deadbolt on the door.

Once inside, she and Mac went to scope out the place to see if they could get hints to the group's plan, while Riley went to the computer room to do the same thing.  
They talked over the comms, comparing things they had found and seeing if Matty could get anything helpful from it. Something seemed to ring a faint bell and Matty told them she was leaving the room for a bit to follow up on it. 

Desi and Mac had found some papers and were going through them when Riley spoke up again.  
"Uh guys…" 

Apparently hearing something in Riley's tone, Mac instantly went on alert.  
"What's wrong?"

"I'm looking at the camera feeds and five of the members just arrived. They've seen the broken-in door and, to put it mildly, they don't look happy."

Voice sharp, Mac immediately replied.  
"Okay, get out of there quick Riles."

"Yeah okay, I'll just -"  
A sickening _thump_ sounded through their comms and cut off Riley's voice. 

A look of absolute horror crossed over Mac's face and screaming, “Riles!” he immediately sprinted towards the computer room which was on the entry level, a floor below them.  
Desi was really worried about Riley but, by charging in, she and Mac could potentially only make things worse for her and themselves. Desi called out to him, but when he ignored her and kept running, she abandoned the papers and chased after him. 

They arrived in the computer room in time to see, on the video feed from outside, two guards walking a handcuffed but still fighting and kicking Riley into their vehicle.  
Mac’s jaw clenched and fury burned in his eyes, but his movements to go outside were halted, and he froze when one of the men gave Riley a solid punch to the face, causing her to go limp in their arms. They then chucked her into a van and sped off. 

Oh no. This was _not_ good. 

She looked over to see that Mac was staring at the screen with an almost silent, seething anger, and was clenching the table so hard, his knuckles turned white.  
She could feel the tension radiating off of him and couldn’t help but be slightly worried about this suddenly very intense, almost cold, Mac, a side she’d never really seen before.  
Why was he like this? He’d been in situations just as stressful as this before but -

Her earlier thoughts suddenly slammed into her. 

Oh. _OH_. 

Desi decided that she _definitely_ wasn’t looking too much into it. Mac had feelings for Riley, and if she was reading his expressions and body language correctly, they were some pretty serious feelings. 

He suddenly got up and started pacing the room with quick footsteps, wringing his hands as he moved, the tension in his body only growing. Desi could tell he was trying to “Macgyver” a way to get Riley back. 

Apparently someone had been monitoring the lines at headquarters because Matty’s voice sounded over the comms again.  
“What happened?”

Mac was still pacing so Desi answered.  
“They took Riley.”

Matty didn’t waste time with questions about what went wrong, but instead asked in a no-nonsense voice, “how long ago?”

“Just now,” and running his hands through his hair as continued his movements, Mac added, “I could’ve gotten here in time, I _should’ve_.”

“I know you blondie, I’m sure you tried your hardest, but we can’t dwell on that right now.”

Mac nodded but Desi could tell nothing Matty said would lessen the guilt in him. She knew the most important thing right now was formulating a plan to get Riley back, but she couldn’t help the tightening in her chest at Mac’s feelings for Riley.  
How had she missed this?  
Hell, how had Mac _hidden it_ so well?

Stopping in front of the monitor again, he spoke with his eyes fixed on the screen, and Desi could tell by his expression he was picturing the men handling Riley, even though it was empty now.  
“So they’re in a black van, plate number D6MCW1. It left the compound a minute or so ago. Matty I need you to track it.”

“Already on it.”

He nodded a few times and they both looked at their phones as they beeped, a tech having sent the live movements of the vehicle to them.  
Mac nodded again.  
“Okay this is good,” and starting to head towards the door, he continued, “Desi and I will leave right now and -”

“No you won’t.”

He quickly spun around, and Desi was slightly taken aback by the fierce glare he fixed onto the source of Matty’s voice.  
“What do you mean _NO_?”

“Mac, you know that we have to have a solid plan before we go after them. We need the arrest to stick. With the group’s powerful backing, if we just charge in with improvisations, they’re going to get away again and we _can’t_ let that happen!”

Anger flashed in Mac’s eyes, and he threw his hands up as he walked closer to the phone.  
"So they can just _kidnap Riley!_ while we sit on our asses like nothing happened?!"

Desi was really impressed that Matty's tone remained calm. There was a reason she herself wasn’t saying much right now, she didn’t know how to deal with Mac in this mood.  
"Of course that's not what I'm saying Mac. What I'm _saying_ is that we need to be logical and practical about this, and that we need a foolproof plan before we -"

Mac let out an instinctive growl of anger, and Desi stared. She'd never seen Mac this out of control.  
"And by the time we have that plan, who knows what they'll have done with Riley!"

"I get that Mac, but we can't just charge in and risk the chance of putting Riley in more danger."

"That's better than sitting here and doing _absolutely nothing_!"  
Desi hated it and didn’t _want_ to feel it, but she couldn’t help the jealousy which surged through her again. Did Mac even _realise_ that he, not only had feelings for Riley, but such deep and intense ones? This man was ready to fight an entire army of murderers just to get to her for god sakes!  
Yes she and Mac didn’t have the healthiest of relationships, and things between them seemed to be good when everything else was bad, but god it just _hurt_ how much he cared for Riley and, Desi knew in her gut, that Mac didn’t have even remotely the same intensity of feelings for her.

She was forced out of her moment of self pity by Matty, who put a bit more authority in her voice.  
“Stand down Macgyver, that’s an order.”

His face flushed red and, throwing out his arms, he lashed out at her.  
“Come _on_ Matty, you _know_ what this group is like! Riley’s tough but she trusts us to have her back! I know that that’s a feeling that’s not in abundance right now in our team -” _okay_ , he was bringing that up again was he? “- but we can’t just sit back and do nothing while they _torture_ her!”

Desi ignored the dig at her and Russ. Even though she was his girlfriend, she got that the woman Mac truly cared about was in a dangerous situation and, because of that, he was turning his worry into anger.  
Trying to reassure him, she said, “Mac, _of course_ we’re going to get her back, but we just need to -”

“Do what?!”  
Surprised, she snapped her mouth shut at his outburst, but he, ignoring her reaction, continued.  
“Stand here and do _jackshit_ as they hurt Riley?! I can’t let that happen, she’s the _only one_ who always has my back so I can’t let her down now!” and fixing his gaze on hers, Desi shocked by the sudden, seething anger there, he added, “though I’m not surprised _you_ can, after all, you didn’t trust either of us and _did_ try to drop a missile on us both.”

 _Wow_. 

Okay. 

Desi got that he was worried about the love of his life, but she was still beating herself up about the codex situation and didn’t need _him_ to keep shoving her face in it.  
She stepped forward, and with the fierce challenge in his eyes, was ready to deck him hard in the face. Matty’s sharp command however, forced her to stand down.

“Macgyver!” his head snapped to the phone that was on the table, “- I need you to _calm down!_ I get that Riley has been taken and we can’t take any immediate action, but that doesn’t mean that -” 

“That’s _MY RILEY_ they’ve taken and if you think I’m just going to _stand around_ and do nothing while she’s in danger then you’re _gravely mistaken!_ ”

Desi stilled completely. 

_Wow_. 

Did he even _realise_ what he just said? 

She had never seen Mac like this and judging by the complete silence over the comms, Matty didn't know how to react either. In the resulting pause, the words just seemed to ring in her head.  
_My Riley_.  
He had said _his_ Riley. 

It would take too long to unpack his words right now or let herself think about how she felt about them, time they didn’t have, so Desi stored that away for later and instead attempted to try and reason with him so he didn’t storm off and get himself hurt as well. 

“I care about Riley too Mac but -”  
She immediately knew that was the wrong route to take and almost flinched at the harsh glare he shot her way. It seemed to say _no fucking way_ do you care about her as much as I do and in that moment she completely believed that, nodded, and changed her tactic.  
“I know you really care for her Mac but I hate to admit Matty has a point. If we go in now -”

“No fucking way am I waiting. Matty, you can send SWAT if you want but I’m going after her.”  
Mac was just itching to leave and Desi could tell it was taking everything in him not to rip out his comms and do just that. At the continued silence, he called out in a sharp voice.  
“Matty!”

Over the comms, her voice finally came through and Desi could hear the resignation in it.  
“Fine. I know I can’t stop you, so go, and I’m sending SWAT right now. They should be 20 minutes behind you.”

Mac sharply nodded and turned to leave the room, but stopped as Matty’s voice came over comms again.  
“And Macgyver?”

“Yes?”

“Make sure you get our girl back safely.”

And, if only for a moment, Mac’s face lightened slightly at Matty’s support.  
“You know I will Matty.”

Face turning to steel again, he charged out the door, leaving Desi running to catch up with him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on the next chapter! I admit I was distracted with the Macgyver Christmas prompts and then when I started writing this again, so much more was asking to be written so it took me even longer.  
> Anyways, I hope you like it and that it does the first chapter justice.  
> Let me know what you think :)

Apart from Matty occasionally checking in, she and Mac followed the vehicle in absolute silence.  
On the passenger seat, Mac was furiously fiddling with a paper clip but a quick glance at him showed that his mind was, unsurprisingly, far away. Desi didn't need to be a master interrogator to know that Mac’s mind was solely on Riley, what state she was in, and how they’d get her back.  
Desi refused to break the silence. 

Other people saw her as cold, but she was someone who prided herself on being able to hide her emotions, they were never helpful when on a mission. 

In this situation however, it was proving to be much harder to do that. 

As she drove, around five minutes behind the van Riley was in, Desi’s thoughts were occupied by the _stunning_ realisation of Mac’s feelings for the other woman. She didn’t even think he _realised_ either a. he had them, or b. how intense they were.  
In a moment of intense stress, when the words had just come out of his mouth with no thought, he had called her _my Riley_ for god sakes!  
Mac had never called _her_ ‘my Desi’ or anything similar, _ever_.  
There was no doubt about it, Mac definitely had feelings for Riley. 

Desi made up her mind. Obviously not right now, but soon, she had to call things off with Mac, and this time for good. She may not have been in love with Mac, but she cared about him, enough to know they had to break up so he could figure out his relationship with Riley.  
She wondered why it hadn't happened yet. Clearly both of them had feelings for the other. Maybe, because of her connection to Jack, Mac felt like Riley was off limits. Or maybe, they felt there was too much to lose if things went wrong. Whatever it was, Desi didn't want to be one of the reasons to stop Mac from having what would seemingly give him true happiness. As much as it was going to hurt right now, Desi knew in her gut that it was for the best. 

Ahead of them, the vehicle disappeared onto a dirt road which had no cameras. Thankfully there was only one route and when they caught up, parking the vehicle in the trees, they saw three large warehouses at the end of the road as they snuck up by foot.  
The three buildings were quite large and it would take quite some time to search all of them, time they didn’t have. A side glance at Mac, who was staring at the warehouses with slight panic, told her he felt the same.  
Desi frantically tried to figure out the fastest way to search them all.  
Usually it’d be Mac’s job, but it seemed like he was starting to spiral and she needed a way to find the right warehouse before that happened. 

Mac suddenly pointed at something on the ground ahead of them, in front of the building in the middle, and whispered, "look!"

Desi looked in the direction he was pointing at but only saw something small on the ground after a few seconds. She whispered back.  
"What is that?"

Ignoring her, Mac walked towards it and after looking around to make sure no one was there, Desi followed. It was a ring, a cheap decorative one, and was just lying there on the ground. She was surprised at the excitement on his face as he crouched down to pick it up, but his words explained everything.  
“This is Riley’s.”

Desi herself couldn't really tell if it was or not, but she 100% trusted Mac to know, so nodded and spoke in a whisper.  
"Okay, so she found a way to slip it off her finger to let us know she's in this building." 

His face softened slightly, the ring validating their immediate rushing after Riley, and it was the first sign of happiness Desi had seen since Riley got taken.  
"She _knew_ we'd come straight away." 

Desi shook her head, still not quite able to believe the intensity of this “non-existent” relationship between Mac and Riley.  
"No, she knew _you'd_ come right away," but he seemed to have not heard her, carefully putting the ring in his back pocket and scanning the ground for more. 

There were no more but, deciding that she was most likely in the middle building, they snuck in through a window hidden along the side. They silently crept along the walls, keeping their eyes and ears sharp. In order to see if Riley had continued her trail of rings, they carefully made their way as close as they could to the front door, the way she would’ve come in, and looked around for more. 

From the entrance, there were a few different ways the hallway led, including the one they had just come from. One of the others had a small shiny object on the ground and before Desi could even ask the question, Mac quickly crouched down and picked it up, putting it securely into his pocket after staring at it for a moment.  
Without looking at her, a hint of pride in his voice, he whispered, “even when in serious trouble, Riley’s leading the way.”  
And no matter how she felt about Mac’s feelings towards Riley right now, Desi had to admit, Riley had some balls on her leaving behind clues in her situation and Desi respected the hell out of her for it. 

The hallway split into three again, but as carefully as they looked, they couldn’t see any more rings. Desi wasn’t too worried, she was surprised Riley’s plan had lasted this long, but Mac clearly didn’t feel the same as her. He started pacing around, complete and utter worry on his face, as he frantically whispered.  
“She was wearing four rings today, we’ve found two, but where are the others? Why couldn’t she get them off as well? Did they hurt her so badly that can’t take them off anymore?”

Mac always tended to bottle up his emotions and so, even though she knew her boyfriend was pinning over another woman, Desi's heart couldn't help but _ache_ at seeing the raw, unfiltered emotion on his face. 

At hearing a pair of heavy footsteps coming closer, they quickly ducked into the empty room they had just checked and heard a low voice laughing as they passed.  
“... that chick is tough, hasn’t said much, but we’ll break her yet…”

Mac’s eyes were wide and full of panic, and running his hand through his hair, he started to frantically whisper again, though it seemed like he was just talking to himself.  
“What if we can’t save her in time? What if _I_ can’t save her in time? How will I face Jack when he comes back? How will I face her mom? How will I face _myself?_ ”

Desi had never seen him like this. He was spiraling fast, and starting to get lost in his head, and she had never been great at getting him to come out of it. Ironically, Riley was the only one who seemed to be able to do that, but that gave her an idea.  
Putting a hand on his shoulder to bring his attention on her, she said while looking into his eyes, “Mac, you need to concentrate. Riley needs _you_ right now, so focus.”

He blankly stared at her for a few seconds and Desi wondered if she’d have to emphasise her point, but he blinked a few times and nodded. She removed her hand.  
“Okay,” he whispered, and his voice sounded a bit stronger, he nodded again.  
“Okay. So I think we can assume they just came from where Riley was, based on what they were saying,” he shook his head, as if to clear it, then added, “we should go the way they came.”

That had been the obvious move but Desi nodded enthusiastically, encouraging Mac to focus back on the mission.  
“Okay, that’s good. Let’s do it.”

He nodded and they slowly started making their way in the direction the guards had come from. They passed two rooms, one sounded as if it had men laughing in it and another that was empty. The next one up had a large deadbolt on it, and on closer inspection sounded as if whoever was inside was breathing heavily. Mac looked at her and whispered, “I think she’s in here.” 

Desi mentally braced herself for the state Riley would be in but, as the door opened, she hadn’t expected to see her free in the room and a quick glance at the hairpin in the handcuffs told her exactly how that had happened.  
The severely bruised and beaten Riley was standing unsteady on her feet but she was holding a crude weapon, made out of her belt and a metal chair (the only things available in the empty room), ready to strike whoever had just walked in. 

Desi quickly closed the door behind them as the tension seemed to suddenly leave Mac's body, and he spoke in a breathless whisper.  
“Riles."  
It was only one word, but in it Desi could hear the relief that Riley was okay and the fear of having almost lost her. 

Despite the cuts to her face, a swollen lip, and what looked like a broken nose, Riley managed a small smile.  
"I knew you'd come."

And Desi _knew_ Riley wouldn't act on her feelings about Mac, but she must've subconsciously known he felt the same because her gaze was locked onto his as she replied.  
I knew _you'd_ come.

She dropped the makeshift weapon to the ground as Mac ran to her and pulled her into a tight hug. Desi saw Riley wince in pain, probably due to broken or fractured bones, but she clearly ignored the pain because she hugged Mac back just as tightly.  
She saw tears in Riley’s eyes and wouldn’t be surprised if Mac, whose face was away from her, was having the same reaction. His voice definitely seemed choked up. It was a small room, so even though they were whispering, Desi could hear what he was saying.  
“Jack’s gone, I can’t lose you either,” and in a voice that sounded like he was close to the verge of tears, one that almost caused tears in her own eyes, Mac softly added, “I don’t know what I’d do without you Riles.”

Desi’s breath hitched at the absolute raw sincerity in his voice and it was taking everything in her to keep her emotions down and hidden.  
Even though Riley was the one who was kidnapped, she seemed to realise what mood Mac was in and so comforted him in the same sincere tone.  
“I’m never leaving you Mac.”  
And at that, Mac buried his face into her and held her a bit tighter, as if to make sure that she never would. 

Standing silently on the side, Desi's heart just… _shattered_.  
Obviously it was now undeniable that Mac had very deep feelings for Riley, and sure her and Mac’s feelings were starting to fade away but _God_ it still hurt and she just didn’t know how to deal with it. 

Thankfully Matty’s worried voice pulled her out of her thoughts.  
“Is Riley okay?”

The pair were still in a tight embrace and Mac, the only one with a comm, didn’t make any efforts to reply. Desi, forcing her voice not to convey any of the emotion she was feeling, whispered back a reply.  
“She’s a bit worse for the wear but she’s going to be okay.”

A relieved sigh sounded in their ears, followed by a clearing throat to shift the subject.  
“Okay, SWAT have just arrived at the entrance of the road. What’s the situation there?”

Giving another glance at Mac and Riley, who were only just starting to let go of each other, Desi updated Matty with all the information about the building, layout, and guards, and in turn Matty relayed it to SWAT.  
The group were lethal and brutal, and so because SWAT had the element of surprise, they had to act fast. That meant that they couldn’t afford to silently come in and take the three of them to safety before taking out the group, and because Riley was quite injured, the three of them couldn’t rush to safety themselves. Because they had to act immediately and wouldn’t have time to scope out the place, they couldn’t guarantee where all the guards would be. What she, Matty and SWAT had decided was best was that they would smoke out the place with stun grenades and would try their best to avoid the room that she, Mac and Riley were in. But in the intense, fast paced take down, they couldn’t guarantee that and so told them to be prepared for the grenades. 

Desi related the plan to Mac and Riley, the latter leaning against the former, and they both nodded, knowing it was the best plan in the circumstances. Desi picked up the metal chair and put it up right for Riley to sit in while they waited things out, and she gingerly lowered herself onto it. 

Now patched through, the SWAT leaders' voices came through on their comms.  
“3... 2...”

Mac reached out and pulled Riley’s head into his chest, using his own body to shield hers from the onslaught that was about to come.  
He had sacrificed his own hearing to protect Riley but, seeming to realise this, she reached up and covered his ears with her hands. 

“1”

The room shook and even though she was covering her ears, Desi could clearly hear SWAT kicking down doors, yells as they announced their presence and bangs as grenades went off. The resulting gunfire was also very clear, though she only had a moment to focus on it before the room they were in filled up with smoke and she could feel the _BANG_ vibrating her bones. And even though she had covered her ears the best she could, they were still ringing.  
No wonder stun grenades were always used. They were effective as hell. 

Through the fog and ringing in her brain, she saw the door open, and was worried how she’d be able to effectively fight them, when through the smoke, one of the SWAT members chucked in three gas masks, did a quick thumbs up, and closing the door, left the room again.  
Grinning, Desi quickly put one on then tapped Mac who was still locked in the embrace with Riley. He sharply turned around, shielding Riley with his body but relaxed when he saw it was only her.  
Taking one, he carefully put it on Riley’s injured face before wearing his own. 

Now feeling like she was able to actually take a breath and focus, she spoke into the comms.  
“Team leader, are we clear to leave from the front?”

His voice came in huffs.  
“We’ve got them cornered in the back. You’re clear.”

She and Mac stood on either side of Riley, her with an arm around her shoulder and him around her waist, and they made their way out of the now worn and torn building. An ambulance pulled in and, taking off their masks, she and Mac helped Riley in then got in themselves. The entire ride was made with the medics checking Riley out and Mac sitting as close as he could next to her without getting in their way. 

When they arrived at the Phoenix infirmary, Mac helped Riley onto the bed while the doctor came and checked over her. Desi and Mac stood quietly as he fixed up her ribs, nose, and the cuts she had on her face, and giving her a few painkillers, he said, “given your circumstances, you're doing quite well, but I’d like you to wait two hours before going to sleep, just in case of a concussion.”  
Riley nodded, and after checking a few more things, the doctor left the room. 

The door to the infirmary opened again, and after looking at her and Mac, Matty's gaze rested on Riley, a relieved smile on her face.  
"Glad to see you're doing okay Riley." 

She smiled back.  
"Thanks Matty."

“I’ll need your side of everything that happened but -”

“Surely not right now Matty!”

She fixed Mac with a look.  
“Cool it blondie! If you’d let me finish, I was going to say that she can do it tomorrow or whenever she feels up for it.”

“Oh.”  
Mac had the decency to look slightly sheepish and with the look Matty fixed on him, Desi knew that she knew _exactly_ why Mac was acting the way he was.  
She shook her head. It seemed like everyone knew how Mac was feeling _except_ for Mac himself. 

Breaking the silence in the room, Matty looked at her and said, “I’ll get your report for now Desi.”  
She nodded and followed Matty to the war room. It took almost an hour to go over everything in detail and to answer all of Matty’s questions about the events of the day.  
It was now Mac’s turn and Desi walked back to the infirmary to get him, but the sight she saw through the glass doors caused her to pause before she walked in. Mac was sitting on the bed, on the side closest to the door, and Riley lay next to him, her head against his leg as he was gently playing with her hair. By the look on his face, Desi didn’t even think he realised he was doing it. 

_Man_ this day was proving to be tough for her. First Riley being taken, then the stunning realisation her boyfriend was apparently in love with Riley, who felt the same about him even though she wasn’t going to act on it, and now here the two of them sat, completely comfortable and at peace in each other’s presence, something she and Mac weren’t the best at achieving. 

Forcing any emotion she had on her face right now away, she walked in saying, “hey.”  
They both stopped talking, Riley propping herself up against Mac so she could see her properly and Desi once again forced herself not to react to how comfortable with each other they looked.  
"Matty wants to talk to you now Mac.”

He frowned slightly as he looked down at Riley and then back up at her, and she knew that after everything that had happened, he really didn’t want to be away from Riley if he didn’t have to be.  
“I’ll stay with Riley for now. Go talk to Matty and get it over and done with.”

And from his side, Riley added, “go Mac, I’ll be fine.”

He sighed then carefully removed himself from Riley’s side, and just before leaving the room, turned around and said to Riley, “I’ll be back soon.”  
She smiled while nodding and he left. 

Desi moved to sit at the foot of the bed, facing Riley, and gave her a smile.  
“I’m really glad you're okay.”

She smiled back.  
“It's only because you and Mac were so fast to come after me, so thanks to you.”

Desi couldn’t help her sad laugh as she shook her head and Riley looked at her in confusion. She wasn't ready to have this talk with Mac but, even in the circumstances, Riley was strong and Desi had never been one to dance around what she wanted to say. She spoke quietly into the silence.  
"He cares about you, you know."

Riley looked shocked but she quickly smothered her expression and spoke in a casual tone.  
"Yeah of course he does, we've known each other for years."

Desi fixed her with a look.  
"You know exactly what I mean."

Riley silently stared back, refusing to say anything, and sighing, Desi shook her head.  
"I haven't known Mac for nearly as long as you have, but in all the time I _have_ known him, I've never seen him this… out of control before.”

She could tell Riley was doing her best to pretend that she didn't care, but her eyebrows furrowed and she couldn't help but ask, "what do you mean?"

She gave the other woman a sad smile.  
"When you were taken, Mac was _so_ worried, and when he saw the men knock you out, there was fury in his eyes.”

Shrugging, Riley replied, “he’d have done the same if anyone else had been taken.”

Desi laughed and shook her head.  
“Yeah he would’ve reacted, but my gut is telling me that his reactions wouldn’t have been as intense,” and before Riley could reply, Desi continued.  
“He fully yelled at Matty when she originally said we couldn’t come after you immediately,” Riley’s eyes widened slightly, “- and he lashed out at me, bringing up the whole Codex, no trust thing. And the entire time from when you were taken to when we found you he was on edge, worried sick.”

Riley was now completely frozen, not knowing how to process all this information, but then Desi remembered something else.  
“You know your jewellery trail?” Riley nodded. “Well if were just me it would’ve taken me some time to realise that they’re yours, and only because I would’ve realised that it definitely didn’t belong to the men in the compound so there’d be a chance it was yours. But Mac,” she shook her head, “Mac knew _immediately_ that they were yours and he started freaking out when we only found two because he had noticed that you were wearing four rings today.”  
Surprise filled Riley’s face but she continued.

“Compare that to the other day when I thought I’d lost my necklace at Mac’s place, and he didn’t know what it looked like, even when I _described_ it. Clearly he only remembers what’s important to him.”  
Riley now had a look of shock on her face, knowing what Desi meant, but not being able to believe it. Desi gave her a sad smile.  
“Trust me, even though he may not fully realise it, he feels the same way about you.”

Riley froze completely at that, and silence filled the room. There was one thing Desi hadn’t told her though, the whole Mac, without realising, calling her _my Riley_ , but she figured Riley had enough on her mind for now. Maybe later she’d tell her, but for now, she didn’t want to overload her with everything.  
Riley quietly broke the silence.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I promise I still won’t act on it though, you don’t have to worry about -”

Desi sadly laughed.  
“You’re amazing Riley, you know that?”  
She gave her a confused look and Desi continued.  
“I know that you’ll keep your promise, even if it gives you pain, but I’ve decided that soon, I’m going to break up with Mac. For good this time.”

Surprise flashed across Riley’s face and she quickly spoke, saying, “please don’t do it because of me, I’ll feel so bad if I’m the reason that -”

She shook her head, smiling at the other woman.  
“I will admit you’re one of the reasons,” and seeing the panic on Riley’s face, she quickly added, “but Mac’s the main reason. Clearly he has deep feelings for you and hopefully me finally calling off our relationship,” she laughed, “if you can call it that at this point, will help him sort himself out.”  
Riley’s face softened slightly and she added, “seriously Riley, mine and Mac’s relationship has been fading away for quite some time and I think we’re both scared of change, so we stuck to each other even when we maybe shouldn’t have.”  
With a small, but genuine smile on her face, she added, “But I think this change is going to be better for us all.”

A soft, but unsure look made its way onto Riley’s face.  
“If you’re sure…”

Desi smiled, a small one, but genuine.  
“I don’t know if this means much, coming from me, but I fully support yours and Mac’s relationship, whenever you’re both ready.”

A soft smile came over Riley’s face and she held out her hand which Desi took. Giving it a quick squeeze, Riley whispered, “that means a lot Desi, it really does.”

She smiled back and they both took back their hands, and whatever Riley had been about to say was stopped as Mac walked back into the room. His eyes furrowed slightly and he looked at Riley, then her, asking, “everything okay?”

Desi nodded, smiling faintly at Riley before replying to him.  
“Yeah it’s okay.”

He raised his eyebrows at Riley who only shook her head while smiling. The doctor walked in and everyone turned to face him. He smiled at them all then said, “Ms Davis, it’s been two hours and your vitals are holding up well, so you can get some rest now if you like.”

“Oh thank god, I’m _so_ tired!”

Everyone chuckled at her enthusiasm, and the doctor added, “but I would like you to stay the night so I can keep an eye on you in case anything flares up again.”

“Hey doc, as long as I can sleep, I don’t care where I do it.”

They all laughed again, including the doctor, and after a moment he said, “well with that attitude, I’m sure you’ll be better in no time.”  
She smiled, and after doing a few last checks, he left.

“I’ll stay with you.”  
Riley looked from Mac to her, uncertainty and hesitation filling her expression. Even though Desi had just told Riley that it was fine, and even encouraged her and Mac’s relationship, the other woman still looked unsure.  
Desi smiled at Riley, in what she hoped was a reassuring look, but picking up on the hesitancy in Riley’s voice, Mac, clearly trying to hide the hurt in his, said, “but it’s okay if you don’t want me to.”

Riley looked at her again, and after Desi nodded, she turned to Mac.  
“No, stay.”

A faint smile came over his face and Desi stood up.  
“Well I’d better get going,” and walking past Mac, she put a hand on Riley’s shoulder and smiled, knowing she’d understand.

She smiled back.  
“Thanks. For everything.”  
Mac seemed confused but ignoring him, she left the room and went to the war room to help Matty with the after mission details. 

Almost two hours passed before they were done, and now that it was almost 11pm, she was ready to fall into her bed for some much needed sleep. Curiosity getting the better of her, instead of heading straight to the garage, she took a detour to the infirmary, and what she saw simultaneously confirmed she had made the right decision but also caused her chest to tighten.

Mac was sitting on the bed asleep, legs stretched out, and head leaning against the headboard. Riley was asleep as well, her head snuggled into Mac’s lap, and he had one hand on her shoulder and another in her hair, clearly having fallen asleep while playing with it. She had never seen Mac look so peaceful before.  
And though she knew hers and Mac’s relationship had faded out and she was going to break up with him, and that she had told Riley to go back on her promise and actually act on her feelings, and that Mac and Riley would truly be an amazing couple, Desi couldn’t help the pain filling her. 

She silently walked out, knowing it would only hurt her more the longer she stayed there, and in the stillness of the dark and empty hallway, Desi allowed herself to shead a single tear.


End file.
